Refrigerating apparatus



E. D. DRAKE 2,347,090

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 18, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet Vl a..:.-MNN ...NWM .w

IN VEN TOR. EAP; D. DPKM April 18, 1944.

HT TOP/v51 K April 1& 1944- E. D. DRjxKE 2,347,090

REFRIGERATING 'APPARATUS Filed sept. 18. 1942 2 sheets-sheep 2 .f6INVENTOR. EAP; .17. .DPAme-f BY K' Q'rTaJP/YEY Patented Apr. 18, 1944UNITED STATES PATENT.v OFFICE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Earl D. Drake,Grand Rapids, Mich., assignor to Nash-Kelvinator Corporation, Detroit,Mich., a

corporation of Maryland Application September 18, 1942, Serial No.458,827

(c1. zo-Y-ssl Z Claims.

l having inner and outer panels in spaced apart relation whereby theouter panel in? rigidly reinforced and stiiened to support the weight ofthe door without buckling or twisting, and the inner panel is mounted infree oating relation thereto.

It is another object of the present inventionto provide an improved doorconstruction in which the desired rigidity is obtained by use of crossstraps or braces.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a doorconstruction having adjustment means for aligning the door in sealingarrangement with a wall of a cabinet to prevent air entering through theopening to a compartment in the cabinet closed by the door.

The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and itsmethod of operation, together with additional objects and advantagesthereof, will best be understood from the following description whenread in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sideeview of a refrigerator cabinet embodying the presentinvention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of a refrigerator door embodying thepresent invention with parts broken away and parts shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged cross sectional view taken along line3-3 of Fig. 1; e

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged cross sectional view taken along line4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a strap used in the presentinvention.

Shown in the drawing is a refrigerator cabinet i5.- The cabinet has afood storage compartment refrigerated by a suitable refrigeratingapparatus of which the condensing unit is mounted in a machinecompartment insulated from the food storage compartment, and to whichaccess is had through door or panel l1.

Access to the food storage compartment is had through door 20 mounted byhlnges 22 to a side wall of the cabinet. The door is provided with arubber gasket 24 adapted to seal against the front wall of the cabinetimmediately adjacent to and about the opening to the food storagecompartment to prevent air entering the compartment.

The door comprises an outer panel or shell 28 of sheet metal and an4inner panel 21 spaced from the outer panel for the insertion of heatinsulation material 29 therebetween. The inner panel 21 is preferablyformed of Bakelite," Micarta, or otherI plastic or compositionalmaterial having a low heat conductivity.

The outer panel 26 is of pan like conformation having top and side walls30, and bottom wall 322.

The top, sides and bottom walls are bent inwardlyv to form a peripheralledge 34 about the door. The metal is extended from the ledge 34 to forma second ledge 36 in parallel continuation below the ledge 34. Securedby weld, or the like, to the ledge 36 is a frame 31 extending about thedoor and -serves as' a box-'like reinforcement frame structure. Theinner marginal edge of the frame is bent at right angles to form arearwardly extending flange 39.

Secured adjacent to each of the upper corners Vof the door to the framemember 31 by their ends 4I are straps 40. The straps are crossed toextend diagonally across the door and are secured at their opposite endsto the bottom wall 32 of the outer panel. The straps are formed ofrelatively thin metal having the end 4I offset to provide a shoulder 42.The opposite end isdoubled over to be secured by weld, as at 44, to themain portion of the strap forming a triangular shaped loop 45. Formed inthe base 46 of the loop 45 is an opening through which extends aninternally threaded nipple 41 having an enlarged base or head portion 49resting flush on the base 46., The nipple is fixedly secured in thestrap by indentations 50 formed in the sides of the triangular loop 45to project over the head portion 49 to prevent withdrawal or undue axialmovement of the nipple. Turning or rotation of the nipple is preventedby forming the portion 49 rectangular so as to engage the upwardlyextending sides of the loop.

Openings are formed in the bottom wall 32 of I the door in which arepressed cup shaped members 52 having an opening 54 formed in the bottomthereof. Extending through opening 54 to thread in a nipple 41 is ascrew 56 having an enlarged head 51 adapted to lie in the cup 52. Thecups are positioned adjacent opposite ends o1' the bottom wall of thedoor to permit anchorage of a respective strap thereto by a screw 56.The rotation of each screw increases or decreases, depending upon thedirection or rotation, the tautness of each strap to provide the correcttension for correcting any warping or buckling tendency of the outerpanel.

The opposite end 4| of each strap is secured by bolt and nut 59 totherear side of the frame to draw the strap taut the shoulder 42 servesto direct the force against the frame and prevent shearing of the end 4ion the bolt, or the cutting of the bolt by the strap.

'I'he door gasket 24 is secured to the door by means of an integrallyformed tongue 60 adapted to lie upon the frame 31. The tongue is securedto the frame by strip 62 attached by screws 63 to the frame. The tongueG10 is formed with an enlarged end portion 65 against which is held theinner door panel 21 by the portion 61 of the gasket which extends aroundand over the marginal edge portion of the inner door panel. The gasket24 also seats upon the ledge 34. By this arrangement the inner doorpanel is mounted in a iloating relation.

In the mounting of the door to the cabinet the gasket 24 should sealtightly against the face of the cabinet about the opening to the foodstorage compartment. Should, for example, it be found that the left handcorner of the door be away from the cabinet to prevent a tight seal, thethreading of the screw 56 in the opposite diagonal corner, the righthand corner, will increase the tautness of the strap to ilex inwardlythe corner of the outer panel suiliciently to move the gasket againstthe face of the cabinet. Likewise, should the door seal too tightlyagainst the cabinet along one portion to prevent another portion fromsealing, arotation of the screw in the opposite direction will eii'ectsumcient decrease in the tautness of the straps to relieve the unduestresses on the panel. Each strap may be individually tightened orloosened relative to the requirement of the panel. Y

By the use of cross straps, relatively thin sheet material may be usedin the forming of the outer panel. 'I'he cross-bracing reinforces thepanel against buckling, twisting or warping. By the individualadjustability of each strap the panel may be flexed to align the doorgasket with the face surface of the cabinet, and by the tension of thestrap upon the screw so as to draw the head in frictional contact withthe cup to prevent undue rotation of the screw, the panel is held in theilxed rigid position thereafter. The adjustment screws are so located inthe bottom wall of the door so as to permit easy access thereto, and atthe same time are so hidden from view as not to interfere or detractfrom the external appearance of the cabinet.

While I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention andthat form described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled inthe art that various modifications may be made therein without departingfrom the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. A door of the class described comprising inner and outer panels withheat insulation therebetween, said outer panel formed of relatively thinsheet material of pan-like conformation including top, side and bottomwalls bent inwardly to form a peripheral ledge about the door, a framesecured to said ledge and extending about said door to stiten the outerpanel, straps extending diagonally across said door within saidinsulation, one end of each strap iixedly secured to said frame andtheir opposite ends having individual adjustable means for securement toa wall of said outer panel, each of said adjustable means independentlyoperable to tighten a respective strap sufciently to stiflen said outerpanel into a fixed rigid position.

2. A door of the class described comprising inner and outer panels withheat insulation therebetween, said outer panel formed of relatively thinsheet material having sides directed toward the inner panel, a framesecured to said sides to stiffen said outer panel, straps extendingdiagonally across said door within said insulation, one end of eachstrap fxedly secured to said frame member, separate means for securingeach of the opposite ends of said straps to one of said inwardlydirected sides of said outer panel, each ci said means beingindividually and independently adjustable to tighten its respectivestrap suiiiciently to stiften said outer panel into a. xed rigidposition.

' EARL D. DRAKE.

